
I'll be honest, for most of my life I have had exactly zero daily routine.
The chaos was something of a calling card—but not one that was necessarily good for me.
Spoiler alert, I had a raging case of undiagnosed neuroodivergent shenanigans—and in recent years I've been able to get a better handle on being me.
As a result, a daily routine has sort of developed.
Reddit user Money-Associate1601 asked:
"What’s something you look forward to every single day?"
A few years ago I wouldn't have had an answer to this, but as I read through I suddenly realized that I have one.
Also, that I enjoy it!
Mornings spent relaxing in the hammock before my day gets punted into shenanigans by my kids, my dogs, my job, or some unholy combo of the three have become crucial for my mental health.
Huh. Who knew?
Let's see what Reddit loves about their routines.
Going To Work (!)
"Going to work."
"It sounds strange, but I love it because I'm working with my son. He’s 23. I’m 50. We spend M-F working together building homes. We laugh all day long."
"It’s the happiest time of my life. I know it’s finite, so I’m enjoying it as much as possible while it lasts."
- thecrab87
"This hits me(23) so much. My dad (50) gave me a job at his company a year ago and always tells me how proud he his of me."
"Just before Christmas he got sick and almost died. When he got out of the hospital he told me how much he cherished our relationship and how it meant everything to him."
"It makes me emotional every time I read things like this."
- Qc-ripguru67
"My brother and I did landscaping together on the weekends. We use to complain about it, but after we sold the business I really missed spending time with him."
"What I miss the most is eating lunch together and riding home after a long day."
- ripped-p-ness
Pajama Party
"Changing out of work clothes and into pajamas"
- send_boba
"My pajamas are my real clothes. Everything else is a facade."
- sharkittens
"The best thing about the pandemic: I work from home all the time and I can wear pajamas all the time!"
- circle_jerker_2000
"Sometimes I get home by 3pm from work and get right into my PJs."
"Even if I’m going out later, I’ll just change out of my PJs when I need to. If I’m home for an hour or longer, I’m in my PJs."
"It’s the only way."
- dat_girl83
Pick Up Time
"Picking my daughters up from daycare."
"As soon as they see me, they drop whatever they were doing and run to me with the biggest smile on their faces and yelling 'Daddyyy!' "
"The absolute sh*ttiest day at work just disappears in that moment."
- all_the_fun_stuff
"100% this."
"Basically anything to do with my kids. Waking them up for school and hanging out in bed for those 5 minutes in the morning is always so much fun."
"Meeting my daughter off the bus from school. Seeing my son when he gets home from preschool and just wants to play."
"Kids are the best cure for a sh*t day at work."
- pdxrunner82
"My 2 year old screams 'IT’S MOM!!!' in absolute delight every day when I get home from work. Nothing else compares!"
- thetermagant
Employee Of The Month
"My baby dog’s big morning stretch. He's actually a senior but he will stay about 5 lbs for forever, so we call him our baby dog."
"Oh! And then watching him go back to sleep in his office bed when I start work. He works so hard. Employee of the month, every month."
- maltymawma
"I love working in the morning and then at about 11 am my dog finally gets up. She does her morning back scratches on the carpet and then demands snuggles."
"It's my favorite unscheduled break time that happens daily."
- Food_is_my_Motive
"My cat Ygritte is my supervisor. She works so hard sleeping and making biscuits on blankets/beds/boxes with blankets."
"She yells at me if I stop working, yells at me when it is break time, and starts getting in between myself and my computer 15 minutes before the end of the day."
"She won't stop until I clock out, it is her everyday being like Nahhhhh you done. Pet me instead."
"She is the best boss I have ever had."
- AltruisticProgress9
Nightly Read
"I live at a friends family house. They offered me shelter after I became homeless and every night I go to my car to read."
"I find that reading in my car every night before going to sleep gives this family a chance to get a break from seeing me and I get a chance to be calm and away from everyone."
"They are amazing people and It’s been so fun. I’m so thankful that they let me stay in their living room, but they tend to use it at night to watch a movie or have family time so I take a chance to let them be and I get a chance to learn something and relax in my car."
- AvocadoSaltAndLime
Fueled By Coffee
"My morning coffee. I get a different coffee every week and drinking it is the most relaxing part of my day."
- hafilax
"Same."
"I had a Colombian blend last week, this week I got a black roast that is so strong I swear its making me grow a beard."
"I'm up at 5 every morning for 'me time', which you dont get with 3 small kids and making my coffee and staring into space for an hour is amazing."
- 2_kids_no_more·
"Coffee is mine as well."
"I love to get a big-ass black coffee with a little cream, put on a good podcast and chill out for a bit while I wake up. Quite possibly the only thing I consistently look forward to every single day."
- instinctbluess
"YES! I set up the coffee pot the night before, every night."
"In the morning my husband gets up to start it and crawls back into bed while it brews. When it's ready he puts his robe on and quietly brings me a cup, sets it on my nightstand and goes into the living room to peacefully wake up on his own, staring at his phone."
"In between alarm snoozes I briefly wake up and take a few sips of coffee. After several snoozes, I need a refill and that's usually when I get up to join him. It's such a great way to wake up, I love it so much."
"Some mornings he has to just get up and go off to a job site but no matter how early it is, he brings me a cup of coffee in bed before giving me a kiss and going. He's the best."
- theredheaddiva
Mid-Day Text
"That mid-day text from my husband, asking me if I can please come home early because he and the dogs miss me, usually accompanied by a photo of the 4 of them looking wistfully at the camera."
"It never, ever gets old. So thankful for all of them!"
- luisapet
"Ugh. Mine always wants to know when I’ll be back because he wants something."
- Funny-Tree-4083
"Oh my god I want this. You are so lucky."
- __Vixen__
"I also want this in my life."
"All I get is calls/messages from scammers or customer service."
- amrit-9037
Observing This Scene
"The sheer, spontaneous joy my dogs have when my wife gets home."
"I tell them 'Who's home?' Then they hear the garage door opening and know Mommy's Home!"
"Batsh*t-crazy pandemonium ensues until I open the side door of garage. Even cuter, my wife is just as happy to see them, too!"
"Nothing beats observing this scene every day, for 11 years."
- Complex-Value-5807
"Absolutely this."
"I adopted a little baby potato two years ago. Now he’s a big old spaz and he has an absolute fit with joy whenever daddy gets home from work."
"He’s so excited he can’t even sit still for pets and kisses. Jumping up and down on the furniture, running around in circles, pure happiness."
- FunnyQueer
At Peace
"I have 30 mins in my day in between work where I just sit on a bench in this park."
"No phone, no earphones, nothing but just me enjoying the sound of birds and whooshing of the trees. Feel most at peace during that time."
- DJTISTA
"I have recently started doing this towards the end of the day."
"It has started filling me up with peace and enthusiasm. I highly recommend this. Half an hour, daily, setting sun/rising sun, somewhere not too noisy, near water if possible."
- pappugulal
"Time like this is essential! Good for you for giving it to yourself!"
- Zebsnotdeadbaby
Lunch
"The last 15 years of my working life was running a route, checking into about 235 businesses each month. It kept me very busy, I seldom had time for lunch over 1/2 hour."
"I always thought how nice it would be when I retire, to have time to set down and actually enjoy lunch."
"Fast forward 5 years, I've been retired and now I get one full hour of lunch and reading whatever book has my attention for those 5 days a week instead."
"It's heaven."
- zerogravity111111
Listening in...
"My morning walk so I can listen to my podcasts."
- 5thSummersBrother_I
"Might steal your idea! I need to start walking more since I'm working an office job now but I find walking boring lol. I always listen to podcasts while I clean."
- chessysloth410
"I work in the office as well and dedicate my breaks to walking. I’m doing nothing else so I might as well get some movement in. I typically just eat lunch at my desk then. I actually lost a good amount of weight by just doing this."
- MYSTICALLMERMAID
Stay Home
"Getting home from work. I really enjoy that whole 'Not-at-work' time."
- ELPwork
"My job gives us 3 day weekends so today was my 'Friday' and i was so excited to leave today."
"I hadn't realized this coming week is Martin Luther King Jr Day until the end of work when my boss reminded us not to come in on Monday... "
"I don't think i've felt that happy in months lmao. Not working is great but surprise paid non-work is the absolute best."
- grandpa_grandpa
Learning Interests
"School. I always hated high school and now that I’m going to a school that caters to my interest, (auto tech) I can be happy going and seeing other people who have the same passion."
- yal_tryna_uhhhh
"Felt the same in college while getting a graduation in game development. It was so exciting to be able to talk to more people and work together on things we all loved!"
- OldAccWasFullOfPorn
Nutrtion
"Eating."
- intrango
"I'm currently on a diet. I discovered that food plays a huge part in my mood. Turns out I'm a lot more irritable when I eat healthy."
- White_Gables
"I genuinely love food, cooking is my hobby and dinner is the best time of the day!"
- Maximellow
"Super unpopular opinion, and I'm a foodie. But as a new mom, I wish we didn't always have to eat. Eating has become a chore to me and I rather sleep lol. But I do have some help and I am getting proper nutrition."
- SunKissedHibiscus
my environment...
"Honestly, every part of my home. As the daughter of an alcoholic hoarder, grew up in a very dysfunctional and at times abusive household. It was always dirty, loud, stressful and unstructured."
"Now that I'm an adult with the power to control my environment and lifestyle, I keep a clean, peaceful home."
"My bed is made, my carpet is vacuumed. I get to hang out with my cats and a good book and not have to worry about the electricity being shut off or my mom not coming home from the bar or any number of financial concerns that managed to steal my childhood away."
"I have what I dreamed of having as a little girl: autonomy and calm."
- ladystarkitten
Open Road
"The drive home after finishing work."
"I live over an hour away from the office and I like the long ride home because it gives me time to decompress. I’m also driving westbound so I’ve been able to witness many beautiful sunsets."
- tiraralabasura_2055
"Personally hate driving west in the early evenings because the sun is blinding as hell."
- selflesslyselfish
Purrr....
"Bedtime routine with my 10 year old cat, she’s my best friend, we’ve had the same routine for years. I call her when I'm ready for bed, she comes running n jumps on the bed and flops against my chest and purrs all night."
"I never want to live a day without her, it’s a nightmare to think about. I make sure to tell her I love her and say goodnight."
- thebillboardssaid
Escaoe
"My audiobook in the car on the way to work. I used to love reading but now I have kids and can’t let myself stay up all night reading. This is my escape time."
- she3099
So what have we learned today, dear readers?
The thing most of these Redditors looked forward to was a moment of peace or affection.
Whether it was from a pet, a kid, a book, or a hot cup of coffee it seems people wanted a literal or proverbial hug.
Does that track for you? What's the part of your day you look forward to most.
- How To Have Things To Look Forward To In Midlife ›
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- 8 Ways to Create Things to Look Forward to Right Now | SELF ›
- What are some things you look forward to every day? - Quora ›
- Seven things to look forward to in 2022 – Macomb Daily ›
Everybody has to have fun.
But fun is a word that seems to have many definitions.
I use to have friends who liked to have fun by drag racing.
Now in my dotage, I say... "No thank you."
When we were kids, we would ring and run.
But now, as an adult, that would really set me aflame.
Redditor VisibleConfusion12 wanted to hear about what some people's ideas of a good time, so they asked:
"What is something people want to do that you think is actually incredibly stupid?"
I try to keep my activities clean.
But drinking a bottle of vodka a day isn't high on the list of good ideas.
But that's my fun, not yours. ;)
Save your coins...
"Buy that shiny newer version of a thing you already have."
subtect
"Never buy new things until yours is broken or the upgraded version is tangibly superior in ways that matter."
The_Iron_Gunfighter
She lost A LOT of skin...
"Riding a motorcycle without leathers. A million things can happen so fast and there you are, sliding down the pavement leaving a meat schmear."
OkPenis-ist28
"My stepdad, who is a former EMT, was diving on the freeway and a couple on a motorcycle went past him, then got loose or the tire lost traction, they fell and slid in front of him, he slammed the breaks barely missing them."
"Went into EMT mode to help them. They were both wearing helmets at least. The guy was wearing a jacket and pants, Lady was in a tank top and shorts. Needless to say, she lost A LOT of skin!"
ArtRepresentative634
Tell the Truth
"Lying about not eating before any anesthesia procedure, especially outpatient procedure. You can aspirate and die even w a little bite of food or a sip of a drink (a sip of water and meds are usually ok). But go ahead."
Ok-Strawberry5238
"Lying to anesthesia about not using marijuana, crack, cocaine, heroin, meth, amphetamine, chronic pain meds like opiates, wine or alcohol regularly, vaping, cigarettes, benzodiazepines, or other street drugs. You might wake up during surgery because you’re not getting enough sedation. Or worse have a heart attack, respiratory issues, and die. But go ahead."
Ok-Strawberry5238
No Air
"Exploring those small, tight-a** caves. Extremely stupid."
Galooiik
"But just think of the rewards! Deep down at the far reaches, there are dank, nondescript rocks to see! Rocks! No other way to do this other than to visit any other type or part of any cave anywhere."
"Then there's the glory of discovery. You could be the first to know there are more rocks further down. And you could be famous like the great cave explorer... uh.. hmm..."
bad_apiarist
Pet Boundaries
"Own exotic pets like tigers, wolves, bears or chimps."
GooglePixel69
"Venomous snakes. The snake people are both fully aware of how dangerous the snakes are and also overconfident in their ability to handle them."
jittery_raccoon
I love animals. All animals. But I do not wish to have several of them as pets.
Hard No!
"Forgiving people who are totally unapologetic unchanging abusers. Nope."
Atzkicica
Be Responsible...
"Drive after consuming alcohol. All my friends hate drunk driving and talk about it. They tell their parents that we're smarter than them cuz of Uber... and yet I seem to be the only one in my friend group who refuses to drive after having drinks at a bar/concert/friend's house."
Karneveus
"Someone I know has gotten in 7 accidents in 3 years, 6/7 were caused by drunk drives If you wanna be AWAY from drunk drivers just don’t drive too much at night."
VisibleConfusion12
Think First
"Having sex with no contraception. I've seen too many people having unplanned babies with people they barely know. Bad for the child, the dad, and the mom. Respect yourself and protect your future. Kids are expensive as hell and hard to raise even with 2 devoted parents ask any single parent."
Tiny_Teach_5466
"Agreed."
"Also, using infertility as a method of birth control. All of the infertile people I know who decided to rely on that and not contraception are all parents of unplanned children. Many times 'life, uh, finds a way.'"
paul_rudds_drag_race
Difficulties
"People who think they are smart but are incredibly ignorant and hard to work with but they pursue leading roles."
"So at my job, there is a guy that joined 8 months ago and is still not integrating as they should. They have 20 years of prior experience in a similar field but are totally ignorant mostly."
"Communication with them is hard since their English is broken and half of the talk is arguing since they want to be smart in every meeting."
"Leading people are not seeing this as a problem, he is considered a Senior expert and possibly be given a leading role. I told my superior I am going to leave if that happens."
MegaSUB
But WHY?
"Getting an eyeball tattoo. Do whatever the hell you want, just don't come to me crying, because you lost your eyesight. Nah, I don't feel sorry for you, that was your own damn fault!"
TheUnstableSteak
A tattoo where?
What are people thinking?
I have no words.
Anyone who enjoyed watching movies as a kid likely had their favorite films they liked to pick from.
But those who have revisited some of those childhood favorites may have discovered there was more awaiting them in the film as an adult.
Redditor phantom_avenger asked:
"What's considered a 'kids' movie' but is still very enjoyable to watch as an adult?"
The Princess Bride
"'The Princess Bride.'"
- The_Horror_In_Clay
"Is this a kissing movie?"
- Bast**dInTheNorth
The LEGO Movie
"'The LEGO Movie.'"
- Not_an_alt_69_420
"I didn't see this for the first time until I was already in my 20s and found it hilarious."
"The part where he reads, 'spend time with those who are special in your life,' and it cuts to him watching TV with a potted plant had me in hysterics as a guy who has way more plants than friends, lol (laughing out loud)."
- Chromattix
Kung Fu Panda
"'Kung Fu Panda' is elite for any age."
- aiyhtan
"The whole trilogy is just a masterpiece, and honestly a must-watch for all."
- Furydragonstormer
Hook
"'Hook' with Robin Williams and Dustin Hoffman."
- withteeth08
"Watching 'Hook' as an adult is a totally different experience because, in many ways, I’d argue, it’s FOR adults. It’s about the importance of reconnecting with your inner child and how that can allow you to really connect with your own children, and even to have a more fulfilling life."
- FredrictonOwl
"This line hits me like a ton of bricks now as a father of three and it gets serious real quick."
"Moira Banning: 'Your children love you, they want to play with you. How long do you think that lasts? Soon Jack may not even want you to come to his games. We have a few special years with our children when they're the ones that want us around.'"
"'After that, you're going to be running after them for a bit of attention. It's so fast, Peter. It's a few years, and it's over. And you are not being careful. And you are missing it.'"
- TigerTerrier
Wall-E
"'Wall-E!!!'"
- Curious_Goat_8991
"Wall-E isn't just a great kids' movie. It's an incredible movie all around. The engaging storytelling is entirely visual for the first half without any dialogue. Many directors or writers would struggle to recreate anything of similar quality. It's an effing masterpiece."
- Hopko682
How to Train Your Dragon
"'How to Train Your Dragon.'"
- magkozak
"The first time we saw 'How to Train Your Dragon 2' in theaters and when Stoick died, I balled my eyes out, especially because they just had the previous scene of him reuniting with his wife with him saying, 'You're as beautiful as the day I lost you.'"
"The 'How to Train Your Dragon' trilogy is one of my husband's favorites, and so we watch them often, and I still tear up at both parts in part two."
- Kay-Chelle
Shrek
"Looking back, I realized the 'Shrek' franchise was really just Dad movies disguised as kid movies."
- trizzfromtheisland
"It's even funnier when you learn that the guys who made it were ex-Disney employees, and the entire movie was a giant middle finger to Disney. Lord Farqauaad represented Disney's CEO, Mike Eisner."
- chemicalgeekery
"My sister is having a 'Shrek'-themed bachelorette party in August, and I cannot explain how excited I am for it. It’s her 'bachelor-Shrek' weekend!"
- HKtx
Rango
"'Rango.'"
- 37yaft
"The quality of the animation is ridiculous."
- TheBurningBeard
"The toad hanging off the side of a wagon whilst single-handedly reloading and firing his gun at bats ridden by mole people is peak cinema."
- Paw909
The Addams Family
"'The Addams Family' and 'Addams Family Values' were an integral component of my childhood."
"'You have gone too far. You have married Fester, you have destroyed his spirit, you have taken him from us. All that I could forgive. But, Debbie...'
'Pastels?'"
- PlaceboRoshambo
The Muppets Treasure Island
"'The Muppets Treasure Island.' It gets better every time."
- Jaradcel
"'Sailing for adventure on the big blue wet thing!'"
- MisanthropicLove425
Muppet Christmas Carol
"I would also add the 'Muppet Christmas Carol' is the best version of the 'Christmas Carol.'"
- dyslexics-untie
"It is and in no joke whatsoever, this adaptation is considered the most faithful by the Dickensian Association (or something like that, I can't remember the exact name) adaptation of Dickens ever. Even with Muppets in the mix, somehow this is the most faithful."
"I mean, this was Dicken's vision. You name a character Fezziwig and you pretend you didn't have Fozzie in your head at all? It's so faithful that one of the funniest lines in the movie is a direct pull from the story, 'and Tiny Tim, who did not die...'"
"This is a masterpiece and Michael Caine asking to treat the movie as a dead-a** drama while acting alongside Muppets is what gives it its gravitas. I once read that a historian also was surprised at how historically accurate the wardrobe was."
"Having Gonzo as Dickens is masterful. One would think adapting this classic would be easy, but no movie since has achieved the level of quality the Muppets one had. It is, indeed, the best version of 'A Christmas Carol.' Required watching every year."
- ERSTF
Emperor's New Groove
"'Emperor's New Groove.'"
- thepinkleaf
"Oh, Right. The Poison. The poison for Kuzco, the poison chosen specially to kill Kuzco, Kuzco's poison."
- B***hVandeKamp
"My appendix burst during my very first week of college and I was in the hospital for a little bit. The first night after my surgery, I found myself wide awake in the middle of the night with only a little tv to keep me entertained (this was 2004, before streaming services or smartphones)."
"Pretty much nothing but infomercials were playing at that late hour, but then I stumbled upon that movie having just started on the Disney Channel."
"After gleefully watching it, I remember thinking, 'Man, I wish I could watch that again right now,' …and just then the TV announcer said, 'Up next, an encore presentation of 'The Emperor’s New Groove!' It was the absolute best night of a s**t week."
- mynameisbritton
Megamind
"'Megamind.'"
- sundried_potato
"Oh, you're a villain alright. Just not a super one."
- abel_runner_5
"I was so surprised at how good that movie was. The marketing was all just so DreamWorks-y and the posters were every character making extreme DreamWorks faces, so I was ready for it to be like a superhero-themed 'Shark Tale' or something. It was soooooo good, though!"
- OffModelCartoon
The Goofy Movie
"'The Goofy Movie.' The greatest father-son story of all time."
- i-p**s-excellence32
"'I've grown up! I have my own life now!'"
"'I know that! I just wanted to be a part of it.'"
- ApatheticNarwhal
"Their father and son dynamic is one of the best I’ve seen in fiction! Primarily because when it comes to their issues they’re both at fault."
"With Max, taking his father for granted and not appreciating him enough, while Goofy is too scared to see his son grow up he can’t respect that he needs boundaries."
"Even in the sequel, Max seems to have learnt his lesson although he still gets embarrassed by him he later understands why his father needs to be at his college and actually sympathizes. However, Goofy still hasn’t learned his lesson and goes more overboard on violating Max’s boundaries. But by the end, he finally learns to accept letting Max grow up."
- phantom_avenger
The Incredibles
"'The Incredibles.' Rewatching it as an adult makes you realize how brilliant it truly is."
- EddtheMetalHead
"At work, I regularly reference the scene where Mr. Incredible helps the customer navigate the bureaucracy. Also as a middle age dad, I empathize with the parents a lot more."
"I also like to yell out, 'Honey, where is my super (whatever I can’t find)? Where is my (whatever I can’t find)?'"
- PlayinK01
"Husband and father here."
"Mr. Incredible seemingly hear his wife and kids get killed while being powerless to help them f**ks me up every time."
"A+++ movie."
- MondoDudeBro
Though these movies may have ideally been geared toward younger audiences, it's always fun to see what details or jokes were included to keep older audiences engaged with the story, as well.
Those who see the film for the first time as a child get the best of both worlds, as they're able to see it as it was intended, but then appreciate it at a whole new level when they're older.
We all have our different breaking points when it comes to tolerating certain behaviors.
When pushed too far, people can act impulsively and wind up causing irreparable damage and also ruining various relationships.
Some people may find it difficult to do, but turning their back on the situation is key, but if their backs are up against the wall, they may find that counting to ten may bring momentary peace.
Curious to hear about strangers online suppress their rage, Redditor Grouchy-Trip9582 asked:
"What do you do to calm your anger?"
Not being around others is helpful, though it's not always an ideal solution.
Go Into Isolation
"I have to get away from people."
– xo_lily_xo
"Same but almost impossible with two younger children around. I think I hold the Guinness World Record for the number of times I have tried to sneak into the bathroom to poop but always get interrupted. Going on 7 years with having every single poop interrupted 💪🏻"
– baldymcbaldyface
Advantage Of Being Single
"This is exactly why I'm not in a relationship. Trying to find someone who doesn't argue over trivialities such as these seems to be a tall order the older we get"
– Sequitur1
Any distraction is a good distraction in a moment of rage
Chef's Kiss
"Think about cooking. It sounds weird, but I debate what I'm gonna cook for dinner and run through ingredients in my head. That way, I'm distracted from rage and it gives me time to process my feelings."
– TeaAndBaileys
"Right now, Im angry at my spouse for stupid disagreements with groceries for what to eat. I'll think about cooking some other day."
– repanah222803
Not A Tall Order
"What works best for me is not to think about cooking but to actually bake pancakes. It reduces the world to a small and manageable place where I'm in control and everything works the way I want it to. And I end up with a stack of pancakes to boot. Doesn't work as well when not at home, though. I don't need this fix a lot, sine I am hardly ever angry (and have very little cause to get angry, fortunately)."
– Kraaihamer
Feel The Music
"I begin singing in my head…something calming like Pink Floyd or any number of Black Sabbath songs."
– Sharonfromhell
"If I'm getting impatient or trying not to call someone an idiot I'll sing 'one o'clock, two o'clock, three o'clock rock' in my head. By six o'clock rock I'm usually over it, and nobody even knows I was annoyed."
– Ygnerna
Some people prefer to assess the conflict to help them calm down.
Food For Thought
"Step back and ask myself why the thing making me angry is making me angry. Is it kneejerk defensiveness because something I take for granted has been challenged? Was it an intentionally inflammatory statement designed to make me angry for the sake of attention or clicks? Am I missing an understandable reason someone might do or say something that seems offensive on the surface? Is the person I'm talking to genuinely too ignorant or stupid to understand the implications of what they're saying or doing? Or, after all other possibilities are exhausted, is the anger legitimate?"
"And by the time I've gone through all that, even if it is legitimate, I will have cooled off enough to behave rationally despite any underlying anger."
– MrLuxarina
Effectiveness All-Around
"I do this all the time! Doesn't just work for anger, I've also used it to evaluate my life when I was going through depression. I learned SO much about myself during that time by using this method."
– Ganouche
Switch Mode
"My brain turns it into deep depression."
– Shenanigamii
"If your emotions are imbalanced or morph it could be your brain chemicals. I’m bipolar and when I get extremely mad I usually start crying an hour later and get stupidly depressed. I dunno, that’s what happens to me too is my anger turns into the Great Depression."
– axg12
Assessing The Situation
"a therapist of mine told me that most anger is a reaction to a different type of feeling. I try to analyze what other feeling I'm feeling and get to the core of it. Sometimes it sucks because anger is a kneejerk response usually and hard to really Calm, but to avoid arguments, its better to analyze. it also helps you understand others more."
– turdennis
Bringing In Logic
"When I realize I’m angry I pause, remove myself from the situation and logically think through why I’m angry while rationalizing that it’s not a good reason to be as angry as I’ve gotten and/or if I feel it’s justified I accept that I need to calm down to be productive or risk being irrationally destructive."
– mtgkajhit
Whenever I'm about to go postal in any situation, I think of my dear friend Kimberly and reflect on some of her hilarious antics that to this day still make me laugh.
Yeah, I have her to thank for a number of times I could've caused property damage.
Thanks, Kimberly. You have no idea how much thinking about your sense of humor has gotten me out of plenty of trouble. Not that I need anger management or anything.
Readers, I hope you all have a Kimberly in your lives that you can rely on in the heat of a moment to pull you back.
When we look back on our childhood, we all reflect on things we regret doing.
From stealing money from our parents' wallets to buy candy or cheating on a test, to sneaking into an R-rated movie against our parent's advice, or being caught coming home past our curfew with our first crush.
While these things naturally got us in trouble, we often look back on these things with laughter and amusement, as they seem to be things all children are guilty of at one point or another.
Of course, some of us also may have done things that we can't simply brush off as "kids being kids."
Things we did that couldn't be fixed by an apology or a punishment, and which still cause us to lie awake in bed at night to this very day.
"What is something you deeply regret doing as a child that still affects you to this day?"
And They Likely Have The Scars To Prove It...
"In middle school I jumped from the top of a slide and landed flat on the bottom, hurting my back."
"Pretty sure I've never recovered."- sadnessucks
It Can Never Hurt To Ask
"Falling into the trap of 'If I don’t ask for too much maybe I can get what I need'."- OldBob10
An Honest, But Painful, Mistake
"After every Thanksgiving dinner as a child my grandpa would put a plate of food together for a man named Mr. Bailey who lived by himself and didn’t have family in town."
"He’d drive over to his house, drop the food off, talk for 5-10 minutes, and then come back."
"I didn’t know this."
"One year after our meal my grandpa handed me a plate with a slice of pumpkin pie on it and told me to get in the backseat of his truck."
"I didn’t ask questions and hopped in with the pie."
"We get to our destination and my grandpa opens my door and says, 'you have the pie?'"
“'What do you mean grandpa? I ate it'.”
"I thought the pie was for me. I ate it in the backseat on the car ride like it was a brownie."
"Mr. Bailey didn’t get any pumpkin pie that year."
"I still can’t look at pumpkin pie without feeling bad about it."- bentgrass7
It's OK To Cut Yourself Some Slack, Every Now And Then...
"I took everything to heart."
"All the insults, all the failures, all the minor mishaps, I couldn't just let it pass me by, it hit me right in the heart, which is why my current mental health leaves a lot to be desired."- AnastasiaFrid
It's Frighteningly Easy To Judge
"When I was 4 a neighbor girl and I became friends."
"I invited her over one day to play, we were playing with dog food, it was fake food."
"Well she started eating it."
"I screamed at her and called her nasty and was just sh*tty."
"Told her I didn’t want to play with her anymore."
"As it turned out, the poor girl was severely neglected."
"Her parents never had food so she was basically starving."
"It didn’t dawn on me until I saw that they were kicked from their home and it was condemned and torn down a year after."
"I remember I went over to play one time and the house smelled like rotting hamburger meat."
"There were cockroaches everywhere."
"It was traumatizing, I cannot imagine living there."
"I have tried to find the girl via social media with no luck."- AbrasiveRake34
An Unwanted Remnant Of A Good Time...
"Giving my knees floor burn for fun."
"I don't have a clue why I thought it was fun."
"Now they are in an awful state and completely covered in scars."- thealphagalgirl
Often, The Most Difficult Thing We Have To Face, Is The Truth
"Not sleeping in my dying father's bed with him."
"He asked me to because he didn’t want to be alone."
"I was 18 at the time and was not prepared for all this."
"Until the day I die I will never forgive myself."- Modig7176
Staying Silent And Doing Nothing Can Cause More Harm Than It Seems...
"I regret not having thicker skin and sticking up for myself from my bullies."
"There were two individuals who were complete psychos and went out of their way to make several people's lives hell!"
"One girl was so crazy she tried running my friend off the road driving home from school; she is now in prison for embezzling from her employer."- NectarineNo974
Well Meaning, But Ill Timed.
"When I was 4 yo, the husband of my aunt died."
"Very soon after the his death, the whole family was gathered around in the living room, me sitting across her."
"I wanted to make her feel better and said:"
"'Don't worry, you will find a new Matty you will love'."
"The hurt and surprised face of her hunts me even today."
"I understood I did something wrong but not really what at that moment."
"We are on good terms and she is living a good live now."
"She very likely forgot what I told her that day."
"I'm probably the only one remembering that conversation."- RoachT3
Blaming A 7-Year-Old For Negligence Just About Says It All...
"One time when I was 6-7 I rode on a 4-wheeler with my older sister."
"We hit a dip in my grandparent's pasture, my sister fell off and she went under the rear tire."
"She needed immediate surgery."
"My grandmother still blames me for it and it has affected me deeply."
"For years I listened to how my sister almost died due to my negligence."- xX8PuzzyXx
Genetics Are Nothing To Be Ashamed Of
"Stop exercising / any kind of working out because I was told my movement is awkward."
"Tried to shrink myself because I was a tall girl that stands out of other kids, which ruined my posture."
"Now I have a very bad scoliosis that causes mild but chronic back pain."
"It's very visible as my waist is not symmetrical."
"Might have to go under a big surgery, putting braces to my spine, in the next 3-4 years."- fatbabygoat
Not everything, if anything, can be brushed off by saying "kids will be kids".
This is why it's important for parents to teach their children what is right and wrong, and be kind and compassionate.
Even it won't stop them from making bad decisions it will certainly make them think twice and avoid doing something they will regret for the rest of their lives.